Monday, October 1, 2012

Performance Test - Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5

Posted at 2:11 PM by Unknown
In Europe, the 13 is considered an unlucky number in Japan, it is the four. And so on the Panasonic G3 can now follow the Lumix G5. The fourth generation of the mirrorless system camera gets back more DLSR a classic design. In addition, Panasonic has revamped the G5 the screen improves the video capabilities of the camera and given some interesting new photo features along the way. As the youngest member of the G-family is in the field and in the lab of digcamworld? This question goes to our review.

Ergonomics and processing "Small is beautiful" - this design principle, many manufacturers have followed with the last generation of their cameras. Including Panasonic. With G3 from last year Although it looked very nice, however, proved to be of use in the little contoured handle the G3 as not so practical. With the G5 Panasonic follows again more ancient doctrine "Form follows function": The Lumix G5 looks more like a traditional DSLR with a deep and well shaped grip - just smaller. But this is not a disadvantage: the G5 sits comfortably in the hand, including the well-shaped thumb rest helps. With its weight of just 600 grams (ready with Lumix G Vario 14-42/1 :3.5-5 .6 Asph.) The camera system is a little easier than a traditional DSLR, it is therefore recommended for very long trips and traveling.

Despite the relatively dainty housing the G5 Panasonic has found enough room to equip the camera with the main controls and switches. The operation is the clearly beneficial, the G5 can be configured somewhat fixed. Yet surely it would go faster, would be the label of the silver four-way rocker switch on the back and read. On top of the top plate to the right sits a handy Programmwählrad which caters even two memory slots for custom settings. The somewhat small trigger stretches far ahead at the top of the gripping bead, it automatically comes under the right forefinger to lie. Directly behind Panasonic has made a new rocker, she takes on two different functions: When a power zoom lens (more on that later) attached to the camera, you zoom with this rocker on and off - just as with a compact camera. Conventional lenses used the rocker about exposure - a clever idea! Especially because the thumb is sitting too deep and decided it is not particularly easy to reach. Criticism must also design the main menu can be made: Although Panasonic shares the long list of commands on multiple pages, selected individually (eg through registration), these are not. Thus one always has to scroll to the bottom of a page to go to the next - that could be solved more elegantly.


Like its predecessor, the G5 also offers a good electronic viewfinder (EVF), which dissolves with 800 x 600 pixels very fine. The viewfinder image is a good size and schliert even during fast pans hardly be unique contrast is too low. Back in the G5 is a proximity sensor in the viewfinder, the Panasonic had saved during the predecessor yet. This sensor automatically switches on request to the display on the EVF when the camera is raised to your eye. Or retained in the stomach, which is also the fact finder can disappear on the screen. As it turned out in practice to be very helpful that with an easily accessible button can also manually switch between the EVF and display. The display, Panasonic has also improved, it now triggers befitting to approximately 920,000 dots. In the bright light of the midday sun, it's neat to read, when the brightness is adjusted upwards by hand - the automatic brightness control proved in practice to be too cautious. It remained is that the display of the G5 is touch sensitive and accepts commands via finger tipsters. For example, not only the ISO sensitivity is two, three typists changed quickly - also the focus point can be with just a tap on the desired image game set and even trigger recording. Panasonic seems to rely on a resistive touchscreen. This may entail some beherzteren pressure than with a capacitive touch screen of a smartphone, this technique works for, even with gloves. The display is left on the casing struck and can be folded away 180 degrees and 180 degrees upward or forward and 90 degrees down. In short, the monitor of the G5 is almost always visible, even in self-portraits.


The case of the G5 can not deny that it is largely made of plastic, but makes a solid impression. Only the rubbery cover the interfaces arouses little faith in a long life. Memory card and battery receives a combined compartment at the bottom of the camera, is located next to it a few centimeters a tripod thread sitting properly in the optical axis. Due to the proximity of Akku-/Speicherkartenfach and tripod thread blocked, at best, a very compact removable disk storage and access to energy supplies. Given the somewhat short battery life of 320 shots (based on CIPA standard) designed so stand in extended use of the battery change a bit awkward. After all, Panasonic has the G5 with a decent charger, an optional second battery can therefore easily load, while the camera is in use.

Equipment system cameras from Panasonic offer has always been a cornucopia of features and configuration options - there also makes the Lumix G5 is no exception. Panasonic has the camera pretty much given everything wish inexperienced photographers as well as photo-amateurs with certain claims. Who unceremoniously just want to photograph only the G5 offers two fully automatic functions: The "Intelligent Auto" takes care of everything, without being one of influence. There are also the "Intelligent Auto Plus" - it allows exposure and white balance correction, and control of depth of field. Will you not leave everything to the automatic, the camera 23 selectable scene modes available. Panasonic has expanded with the G5, the number of creative visual effects, you can now choose from 14 of dislocation of "expressive" to "Miniature Effect".

Panasonic Lumix DMC-G5 with 14-42 mm offers the discerning photographer G5 host of options and features for individual control of imaging parameters. The camera can be operated as aperture, time and program information, in addition, exposure can be controlled entirely by hand. The G5 takes bracketing up to seven shots in at a maximum spread of one stop. That should be enough for the most demanding HDR series. Even more convenient HDR photos created with the new HDR feature of the G5. You will automatically take three photos with different exposures and combines them into an image that is drawn through from the darkest depths to the brightest lights - in theory. In practice, the Auto HDR proved to be too timid, the contrasts were as pronounced in backlight too high. The image processing in the camera can be adjusted to a very large extent, about the sharpness, contrast, saturation, and the level of noise reduction. The G5 has a data memory for the exposure board, either can be stated thus the focus.

Panasonic has equipped the camera with an electronic shutter, which can be activated when needed. Then not only the shutter sound is significantly reduced, the electronic shutter also allows continuous shooting up to 20 frames per second (fps), however, then the resolution drops to about four megapixels. At full resolution continuous shooting rate after Vendors Rank Eben still pretty brisk 6 fps, the camera shows, however, during continuous shooting at no viewfinder. Holds few surprises ready for the flash in the G5: It overlooks the flash on the second curtain, like the slow-sync, the flash exposure can be corrected regardless of reading of the ambient light. Caution: With the electronic shutter, the light is inoperable - a circumstance that the user passes studiously.

Already, the ancestor of the Lumix G5, introduced four years ago G1 stunned for a mirrorless system cameras surprisingly snappy autofocus. It remains to this day, even the contrast AF of the G5 is one of the fastest of its kind Practically immediately after the shutter button halfway, the camera is in focus. Pressing the shutter button down fully, but then it takes a split second until the recording is in the box. Nevertheless, the laboratory with the kit lens Lumix G Vario 14-42/1 :3.5-5 .6 determined including autofocus shutter lag is a maximum of 0.3 seconds and is on a par with comparable DSLRs. Even the continuous focus tracking works very well. This is particularly true in connection with the new "power zoom" lenses, such as the Vario PZ 45-175/4.0-5.6 could in practice prove. Actuators move at Panasonic's PT-lenses, the lenses of the focus group, so the camera always knows the current distance setting.

The advantages of this method are used for primarily video recordings worn: Equipped with the power zoom controls the G5 while filming the sharpness to very quickly and most importantly, without disturbing focus pump. As nearly proved even more valuable when shooting video, that the Power Zoom - as the name suggests - the focal length varies by motor. This is the G5 with the aforementioned Zoomwippe provided near the trigger. She works in two stages, half-pressed, the zoom range by driving at a reduced speed. Thus, finally, with a system camera even zooms possible. Another advantage of this technique: the power zoom operates almost silently, so are the days passed since a zoom change the video shoot with annoying Schabgeräuschen immortalized on the soundtrack. Which is available with the G5 in the set default zoom Lumix G Vario 14-42/1 :3.5-5 .6 Asph. Panasonic has denied these benefits, it can only be conventional manually zooming. Based on the small picture format covers this zoom with a focal length range of 28 to 84 millimeters. It is largely made of plastic, however, act without thereby cheap.


That's worth the investment in the power zoom lenses for film enthusiasts, underline the G5 with its impressive video capabilities. The camera records in full HD resolution with a frame rate of 50 frames per second, the result is a stream of impressive 28 Mbps. Videos can be combined with virtually any exposure, take effect or scene mode, the sound is recorded in stereo. The G5 allows recordings manually in four steps auszusteuern, if required is a digital wind filter activated. Pity that Panasonic has the G5 without the possibility to connect an external microphone. By default, the camera will focus on the shooting of the video, the function can be disabled also. In this case, skip the autofocus only after briefly pressing the shutter button. During movie recording and photo shooting is possible, but then the aspect ratio is always 16:9.

Picture quality 16 megapixel resolution camera system are currently satisfied the measure of all things, hardly a representative of this class is still less. It keeps the Lumix G5 good as her predecessor in the Micro Four Thirds sensor triggers continue to 16 megapixels. Looked So Panasonic has the G5 leave everything as it was. It is also here that the sensor size is about one third less than for a APS-C sensor - and thus in the basic risks and side effects for the image noise. Panasonic emphasizes, however, that the noise cancellation of the G5 has been significantly improved thanks to its quad-core CPU. If the camera can keep this promise, and what the situation is in total for their image quality, had the G5 in the test lab and in daily photo digitalkamera.de practice to the test. The detailed and extensive testing protocol can be viewed for a small fee and PDF Panasonic DMC-G5 downloaded with 14-42 mm  are.

At first glance, seems to the laboratory protocol in terms of "noise" everything to be in order - at least until the sensitivity of ISO 1600. Up to this ISO level of the signal to noise ratio drops so not just below the critical limit of 35 dB. Similarly, the luminance noise is up to this mark on a uniform low level. The measurement of the texture sharpness debunked however, about which the price paid for the good G5 noise values: the texture sharpness decreases continuously from ISO 200 - a clear indication that the noise reduction is increasingly engaged already with low ISO levels. At sensitivity settings of ISO 1,600 beyond the texture sharpness initially increases again - but also the noise. Apparently now holds back the noise reduction more, which is not a bad idea, in practice, too much noised photos look artificial, because the Störpixeln also equal the finest image details to be sorted out - as does the G5 is no exception. Fortunately, can reduce the level of noise reduction via the Picture Style, which turned out in practice to be a good choice. In addition, the G5 features optionally also in RAW format, so that disturbing picture noise and minimize later without too much loss of detail by RAW converter can.


The Lumix G5 processed the way up to ISO 3200, a contrast ratio of about 9.5 f-stops - a decent value, but not a top result. The tone is tuned very soft, so the G5 waived on crisp contrasts, however, on the other hand provides easy image editing recordings. With the color fidelity, it takes the camera not quite accurate, particularly Cyans they move vigorously to purple, orange is emphasized. On average, the color reproduction is so accurate just yet, the white balance is very accurate.

Significant impact on the image quality, have not only the image sensor and image processor of the camera, but also the lens. Last appeared frequently that available with a camera kit lenses do not exhaust the potential of the camera. Is this true for the Lumix G Vario 14-42/3.5-5.6, which had proven themselves on the G5 in the lab? At open aperture standard zoom shows the way a slight drop in sharpness at the edges, stopped down to F8 but then the world is in order. Also at maximum aperture at wide angle and only the kit lens vignetting strong, this problem disappears fortunately by stopping down to at least F8. Life, however, so you have to set the lens at wide angle recorded some strong barrel-shaped, the tele show slight pincushion distortions. Well under control, Panasonic has the chromatic aberration, color fringing the lens hardly shows.

The resolution power of the price-optimized zoom lens leaves something to be desired but overall. Although the G5 crack coupled with the Vario 14-42/3.5-5.6 at optimum aperture F5, 6 the mark of 40 line pairs per millimeter (lp / mm), but only in the image center. Especially for wide angle, the resolution towards the edges decreases rapidly and reaches at best about 30 lp / mm. Although the border resolution increases with increasing f-number - due to its relatively small sensor reaches the maximum resolution G5 her but even at F8, is further dimmed limit the resolution diffraction effects increasingly. Overall, the image quality of the lens is set so that as just fine. But if you want to take in the extreme corners sharp and detailed photos should provide the G5 with a higher quality lens.

Conclusion Panasonic Lumix delivers the G5 from an all-round handy system camera having a camera little ups and downs, can inspire a video camera, however. When compared to the predecessor much stronger molded housing allows the G5 well in the hand. Thanks to its touch-sensitive display, the camera is easy to operate quickly, only trips to the main menu got a little tedious. The G5 offers an amazingly fast contrast AF with which it is just as fast as comparable sharp DSLRs. In conjunction with a power zoom lens will bring her to the sharpness of the video shoot quickly and without the hassle of pumping. In addition, with power zoom lenses allow uniform, silent zooms. The equipment features the G5 is good to very good, and makes both inexperienced photographers and photo amateurs miss hardly anything. Equipped with a Micro Four Thirds sensor, the G5 can however keep up with the image quality is not quite with the APS-C competition. While the camera image noise effectively suppressed, beyond the latest ISO 1600 the strong noise reduction leads to visible loss of detail. Can we do without pronounced high-ISO capabilities, the G5 is recommended for those who want a compact system and video camera in one device.

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